Atonement
by TTAvatarfan
Summary: Captured, beaten, but not broken, Ed must find his way back to his little brother, and protect those that have found their way to him in the shadow of the unknown. Escape at all costs, or there is no hope at all. Two parter.
1. Shared Blood

The train slowed to a crawl, before stopping altogether, breaks squealing loud and high enough to shatter eardrums and make its passengers grind their teeth to the point of breaking as they braced themselves against it. Many had to find something to hold onto, or else they'd be flung forward from the sheer force of the cars bumping into each other.

Once the squeals died down, new noises took their place. All were foreign noises, and they were doing nothing to alleviate the fear that was quickly claiming all of the kids that were trapped in the train car with Edward. They all began talking at once, some curious murmurs, others apprehensive whispers, all blending together into a single rush of voices that only served to fuel the tingling anxiety in his belly. They had been traveling in this thing nonstop for almost a day, so finally arriving at their unknown destination had everybody ready to spring up and run away from anything that looked remotely threatening.

A hollow thud reached Ed's ears as the gangplank was set against the car, and following it, was the low, rumbling roar of the door being pulled open. The sounds of men's voices and their bustling around in the dirt or yelling out orders suddenly became magnified as the roaring ceased against the side- rail, booming loudly when it came to a stop.

There was someone standing in the shaft of light that was now radiating into the car, his appearance intimidating despite the fact that the look on his face didn't match. He told them all that it was time to get out, shouting over the noise in the background.

All of the children in the car with him looked naturally up to Ed for guidance and protection, since he was the oldest one among them. Their eyes were very wide with concerned fear, none of them willing to make the first move, but afraid what would happen if they disobeyed. Ed tried to quell their silent uncertainty by taking them all in at a sweeping glance, eyes soft and smile consoling. He then redirected his attention at whoever had been unfortunate enough to scare all of them so badly, expression changing very quickly.

Mind now burning with a feisty sort of anger that he had grown very familiar with, Ed pushed himself unsteadily to his feet, balancing almost his entire weight on his left foot. It shook terribly, no matter how hard he willed it to keep still and not radiate his weakness to the entire world. He straightened to his full height and narrowed his eyes coolly likewise, trying to send a clear message that no matter what this guy had to say or do, he wasn't going to be intimidated by him and certainly wasn't going to let any harm come to these kids.

The man standing in the doorway sighed, seeing the stubborn glint in the boy's eyes, which were most certainly concealing a thinly veiled feeling of being thoroughly pissed and nervous at the same time, and knew that the kid wasn't going to just walk off the train obediently. That figured. There was usually one rebel still trying to preserve his dignity, despite what others had done to take it away.

So he grudgingly made his way towards him, noting how the younger kids were now on their feet as well and huddling behind the boy who they seemed to know would fight to protect them if that's what it came down to. But the man was in no way looking for or in the mood for a fight.

"C'mon now," he reached out for the long rope hanging down between Edward's hands that were binding them together in front of him, "Not gonna hurt you. It'll be alright, come on."

Ed turned his upper body away from the man half heartedly, his glare sharpening and jaw clenching suddenly against a retort that he wasn't in the position or the bodily condition to be spitting out. He watched, frustration and fury roiling harshly in his stomach, as the worker grabbed his rope, and gave a gentle tug in the direction of the open doorway. Ed breathed in deeply and held his head a little higher, before allowing himself to be led forward like a pack animal, trying to control his limp so that he didn't trip over the lip of the gangplank against the base of the doorway. He would hold onto his stubborn pride as for as long as he had it, because it was the only thing he had left at this point.

However, once the outside world was finally revealed to him, he stopped abruptly at the edge of the train car before he could hike himself over said lip. His eyes flicked back and forth, trying to take every sound and sight in at once. There was very little out here scenery-wise, wherever they were, except for a few small hills and enormous mountains in the far distance, and a few hundred men hauling iron and timber from one end of the work area to the next. The smell of something burning, perhaps fossil fuels or other materials, was mild but very distinct along the edge of Ed's awareness.

"Edward?" a small voice rasped behind him.

It was one of the children, the boy peeking out behind him, and obviously alarmed by the same sights that Ed was seeing.

"It's alright," Ed soothed in a voice normally reserved for his younger brother, turning his head towards them slightly and relaxing his glare. He could only hope he sounded reassuring.

Ed then fixed his gaze forward resolutely once more, the steely glint returning to his eyes, and allowed himself to be led down the gangplank, listening to it creak woodenly as he made his way down it with mild difficulty. A bolt of pain pounded its way up and down his leg as he finally hopped onto the ground, and Ed in turn gritted his teeth and swallowed a grimace, praying the stupid thing wouldn't start bleeding again. That was all he needed. If it bled anymore, he was sure he'd be in trouble.

Once he was clear and started limping behind the worker who was leading him forward, the gangplank started rattling again with the sound of the other kids being led down it as well, their steps hesitant. Other children from other train cars began to join them little by little, some heading in one direction, some heading in others, and none of them having a clue as to where they were going or why.

So that was something they all had in common. Ed had no idea why they were here, but what he did know was that they had to escape before they could find out.

~*~

"You're staying here for tonight. Be ready by dawn."

No sooner had the worker spoken those words than Ed allowed himself to all but collapse in the dirt that lay on the floor of the shed. The ropes remained bound to his wrists, and apparently no one had any intention of removing them. They couldn't allow him or any of the other kids they had taken prisoner to escape for some reason. Instead, the man left without another word, stepping over the other children that lay on ground that had already gone to sleep for the night.

Judging by how badly his legs had been trembling on the short walk over, and how heavy his head felt on his shoulders, Ed figured he should follow their example. Whatever he needed to be ready for at dawn, he couldn't be ready if he was too tired to keep his spine straight enough to sit upright. So, he heaved a sigh, his shoulders rising and then falling with the effort, before lowering himself onto the dirt, far too exhausted to care how cold and uncomfortable it was. From how crazy and fast paced things had been in the last couple of days, every muscle fiber was practically screaming for the warmth and rest of deep sleep.

He closed his eyes, almost immediately feeling that wonderful, lightheaded sensation of sleep lapping at his conscious, pulling him away from the chaos of the waking world. He shifted a bit more, getting more comfortable, feeling the pull grow stronger…

"Edward?"

He furrowed his brow a bit. Did someone just call him? No, he was too close to falling asleep, he was probably just hearing things.

"Ed, is that you? Edward?"

The voice was growing hopeful, female by the sound of it. And it was also growing very irritating, like nails on a blackboard or some other noise that made his insides squirm and gave him the strong desire to break things. Ed huffed a sigh through his nose, and hefted himself off the ground with his arms, leaning heavily on them as he glared around the shed, head panning from one side to the other. Part of him was praying to all the powers that be that he was indeed hearing things, so that he could just _sleep._

His eyes flicked abruptly to the right when somebody started shuffling toward him, and a familiar shape formed in the soft moonlight coming through one of the windows. And she was certainly the last person he expected to see in a place like this.

"Rose?" Ed blinked a few times, straining his eyes through the mess of blond bangs that had fallen in front of his face to make sure he wasn't mistaking.

She crawled forward on her hands and knees eyes highlighted and glowing eerily, before coming to sit beside him. Her face broke slowly into a small smile, obviously relieved at finding a familiar face.

"I never expected to see you of all people here," Rose admitted, allowing her hands to rest in her lap.

Ed blinked again, and turned his head from her direction to stare at the ground straight in front of him. He laughed quietly, bitterly, lips quirking upward into a smile that was only half full of humor.

"I didn't expect to see me here either."

They allowed those words to echo in silence between them for several moments, before Ed shifted his weight to try and take the pressure off of his right leg. He felt something catch it and let go a moment later on the ground, flinching in turn from the uncomfortable sting it left behind. Rose's eyes immediately filled with quiet concern.

"Did they hurt you?" she asked hoarsely, gaze flicking rapidly from his face to his unseen injury. She vaguely noticed his jaw tighten from the pain.

"Eh, some son a bitch shot me in the leg," he condescended, shrugging. Noticing how her eyes widened in silent horror, he quickly added, "Don't worry. Went right through."

Rose gaped at him."What did you do to make them want to shoot you?"

Ed laughed again, although this time because he actually thought her question was funny. Really, what hadn't he done to piss people off lately?

However, the next thought that followed quickly sobered him up again, and his face went straight and somber again.

"Cause they shot at Al first," he whispered, the words catching noticeably, "He went into the river running alongside us, and I had to go in after him. Someone shot me before I could, but he didn't last long after that. I took care of him and went after Al."

Edward's gaze darkened considerably.

"Jumped in after him, and we both almost drowned. I never knew water could move that fast, or be that cold…" his shoulders shivered, and he allowed the moment to pass before he continued, "But I managed to drag him out, and that was when I noticed that he didn't just fall in because he lost his balance. They actually got him. It was bad. There was…a lot of blood."

"_Easy Al, I'm just trying to stop the bleeding."_

_Ed pressed down on his brother's breastbone with bare hands, trying and failing to staunch the blood that was sliding so effortlessly out, and at the same time trying to keep him still through the deep burning sting that was surely following._

_Al gave a whimper pathetic enough to make Ed decide that he never wanted to hear his brother ever make that noise again, and in the same breath, said tightly, "I know…I know you are. Doesn't change the fact that it hurts."_

_To make matters worse, the sun was sinking further behind the mountains every minute they spent on the riverbank, and it was getting colder. And they were still soaking wet, clothes clinging to skin tightly._

_Ed was barely aware that he was shaking slightly from both the plummeting temperature and the fresh bursts of adrenaline tingling through his veins. He was far too concentrated on putting pressure on his brother's wound that absolutely refused to stop spilling over the top of his chest. Ed's hands were very red now with the stuff, he noticed, but didn't care. _

"_You gotta get out of here," Al told him sternly, though the words came out more like a moan, "They shot you too. And soon they'll be looking for you."_

"_Not a chance in hell," Ed growled, teeth grit in concentration and anger, "What on earth is wrong with you? Have I ever left you to save myself before?"_

_A slight pause, in which Al made the effort to smile shakily and suck in a deep breath through another wave of agony, before answering, "Not that I can remember…"_

"_Then what the hell makes you think I'd leave now!?" Edward all but screamed at him, voice raising a couple of octaves as his control of it slipped. _

_His brother said nothing, sides simply continuing to heave up and down, and listened to Ed hiss a string of vowel and consonant sounds that he could only barely make out. Most were probably curses directed at him anyway for even _thinking_ something like that you stupid, stupid moron! The only reason Ed was swearing at him so much, he knew, was because he was panicking so badly over his poor little brother, and that was just how he was venting that panic. _

"I think I got the bleeding to stop after a little while," Ed mumbled, pulling his knees up to his chest as the too-fresh memories kept resurfacing, "I had to wrap it. It was too dark to see five feet in front of your face by that point though, so we couldn't go back. I just stayed with him by the riverbank."

_He sat by his little brother, legs crossed, ignoring that his body was shivering so hard by now that he could barely keep himself in that position. Now that the adrenaline had died down a little as well, he was beginning to feel the spasming ache in his calf where they'd gotten him, but he forced himself not to pay attention to it. _

_Al had fallen asleep not too long ago, back pressed against Ed's thigh, the contact doing more than to just comfort the younger of the two. The heat that bled through the older brother's soaking pants gave him the reassurance that he needed that his brother was still very much alive. _

_Intense anxiety was shuddering through Ed's insides, trying to keep all of his senses on the alert for the military rebels that were surely coming after them by now. It warred with the nearly complete exhaustion of those senses, the cold, exertion, and late hour making his head feel heavier and heavier…_

"Must have fallen asleep after that," Ed mused with another shrug, still mumbling into his arms crossed over his knees, "Because the next thing I remember was feeling ropes around my neck…"

"_Al! No, godammit, let me go! Al!!"_

"_Brother…"_

_His eyes were so glassy and unfocused, his neck barely able to support the weight of his head as he lifted it to see why Ed's warmth had suddenly left him. He reached for him, hand shaking badly, and his brother reached back, the ropes tightened around his neck, and he was pulled away from him. _

_Edward watched his brother's body spend what little strength it had in trying to keep him by his side, and then give out, head collapsing back down onto the grass, sides giving frail heaves as they fought vainly for air. _

_Ed allowed his head to lower and his bangs to shadow the crushing despair that had pinched his face, and did the unthinkable. _

_He went slack, and allowed himself to be dragged off into the unknown. _

"I don't know if he's…no, he's still alive. Al wouldn't let himself die like that."

Rose just kept staring at him sadly, and her throat constricted at how obvious it was that he only half- believed the words that he was telling her. Feminine instinct was screaming at her to offer up some kind of comfort, anything to make that raw grief mixed with undeniable truth battling in his features just go away.

"No, he wouldn't," she murmured gently, but firmly at the same time, "Not if he's half as stubborn as you are."

"Maybe," Ed's grip around his knees loosened just a fraction, "Usually when it comes to me, he is."

"He shares your blood. That has to mean something."

At this, a small grin worked its way onto his face. Yeah, he supposed, they did share blood. If that wasn't proof that there was some part of Al that could send a mule to shame when it came to being stubborn, then nothing on this green earth would be able to convince him. Al was still alive. He _was_, and that was all there was to it. Because, if he allowed himself to think of the alternative, that maybe no one had noticed Al was missing and he had been left there all that day and night…

To his embarrassment, but thankfully cutting off his train of morbid thought, Ed yawned hugely, the weariness that had been building up to this point suddenly reminding him that it was very late, and he still needed to rest.

"You can worry about this more in the morning," Rose offered, although the way she said it didn't leave any room for debating the issue. Her body looked on the verge of collapse itself, her shoulders sagging as if they were as heavy as stone.

"Mmm," he hummed, nodding, suddenly not having the mental stamina to keep the conversation going anyway. Ed then proceeded to all but drop to the ground, keeping one arm under his head to support it and allowing every tense muscle to relax and go limp. And once again, that drowsy feeling of black, shadowy arms reaching for him and pulling him down became very apparent.

Rose was very quiet next to him at first, not making any move to lay down herself, but he could still feel her eyes practically burning holes into him. He had no idea what she was waiting for, until he heard her shuffling and abruptly felt her warm body gently touch his back. He stiffened for just a moment in surprise, not expecting her to do something so bold, before a wayward thought slogged through his sleepy brain. Perhaps she just wanted the contact out of assurance that everything was going to be alright, because now, whether he liked it or not, he was in no more of a better position that she was.

So for now, Edward accepted the contact, showing his consent by allowing his entire body to fall slack and expelling a rather contented sigh, before sleep came to lay claim to him at last.

~*~

"So, that's all there is?"

"All we can get anyway."

"Sure it's enough manpower?"

"Should have just used horses…some of those kids are way too young. They won't be much use."

"We gotta get that steamer hauled through the mountains and meet up with the others at the rally point in a week, no questions asked, end of story. Unless you want to walk out of there carrying your own head, you better be up at dawn."

"Those people up north scare the shit out of me…seriously, each one of them looks like they'd kill you for a Klondike bar."

"Well, just think of that as more motivation. Sooner we drag that thing up there, sooner we can kiss the north and all of its ass-numbing snow goodbye."

**A/N: And I'm back. ^^ Virtual cake to those who can guess the movie I took this scenario from. It's a two parter, so keep a watch out. **


	2. The Upholder's Will

If there was anything Ed had figured out in these past four years, it was that morning came way too early when you were this bone-deep exhausted. It seemed like just moments had passed, before he felt the gentle motion of his shoulder being jostled, until whoever was initiating it saw him begin the long struggle of trying to work himself out of the dead sleep he had fallen into. Vaguely, he felt his chest expand and then collapse, issuing a pathetic groan at having been woken when he felt so depleted.

"Sorry," Rose said sympathetically, retracting her hand from his shoulder, "They said it's time to go. I was surprised you didn't hear the guy. Could have been an opera singer with lungs like those."

Unfortunately, Ed was too groggy to catch, much less react, to her statement. Instead, he sighed deeply in an attempt to quell the pounding in his head, and blinked owlishly at her. He did notice however, that she was wearing an expression similar to his, and guessed that she only barely felt more awake than he did.

Attempting to stand up did wonders for that problem, because when he was only halfway off the ground, Ed almost fell rather ungracefully back down. The blast of sudden pain cleared away the mist of sleep, and reminded him what on earth he was doing here.

Seeing him falter, Rose immediately sprang to her feet to catch him, hands poised over his elbow should he lose his balance. To her surprise though, he shook her off, growling irritably.

She watched him regain his composure, steadying himself so that his legs didn't shake anymore. He gave her a gentler look, a smile to match as well, before glancing behind her shoulder and offering her a bit of advice.

"There are others here who need your help that are worse off than me."

His smile grew a little wider as she spotted two smaller children, one trying to encourage the other to rise, the one on the ground meanwhile making no move to do so. Rose turned on her heel in their direction, sparing Ed one more glance, and then continued on her way. Ed watched her lift the more lifeless child to its feet, her encouraging words that followed this action too low for him to hear. But the fact that the child began to move forward a moment later was all that he needed to see.

~*~

Ed really didn't like how heavy that clinking was as the chains behind him swung into place. His distrustful glare that he cast over his shoulder was only matched by several other children that were behind him, all of them held in place in front of the giant steamer car by several hundred feet of chains. The harness that crisscrossed in front of his chest and held him fast to the bar that separated him and Rose was far too tight and, he felt it squeeze him uncomfortably. Men were running here and there, like bees going too and from a hive. Some were disappearing behind the car, others were taking up a place among all the vast rows of chains and leather and children. Ed noted that those workers held short whips in their hands, and his stomach did an angry, nervous flip.

Suddenly, a long, loud cry rang out above all the chaos and noise, a bugle call to start moving the train, and Ed felt a sharp sting at his heels. Surprised, he leapt forward, and found that everyone else was doing the same, and felt the harness constrict his chest terribly as he tugged against it. He gritted his teeth and dug his toes into the ground, the unfathomable weight of the train becoming his only thought and feeling as he struggled against it. A step forward, another, and another, and he felt the steamer begin to move. Slowly.

Very slowly.

Hour upon hour, they kept going, not allowed to falter and not allowed to stop or slow down. Ed was straining muscles he never knew he had, and kept feeling the tickle of sweat as it rolled down between his eyes and collected at the bridge of his nose. His bangs were sticking annoyingly to his forehead, very much damp and stringy. His leg was aching so badly by this point that he was thinking about getting another automail leg installed in its place.

Ed also didn't fail to notice how sick Rose was looking; how pale her face was, and how she kept stumbling and dragging her feet. So it wasn't a surprise when her knees buckled not too much later and she began to fall straight down. Catching the change of motion in the edge of his vision, Ed reflexively caught her around the front of her shoulders and gave them a small shake. He watched her eyes become less cloudy and more alert and then fix onto his concerned face. She dug her feet back into the ground, pulled away from Ed's hold, and gave him a shaky half smile to show him that she was okay. Ed sighed and smiled a little as well, keeping his eyes on her for a little while longer before glancing back up to the horizon line. A long path had been lain out before them, probably worn flat by many trips to and from wherever it was they were going. It twisted its way into mountains that looked as cold and gray as steel, their peaks shrouded in what were probably snow clouds.

Wait. Snow clouds over mountains…

…Drachma.

Ed's eyes widened and he felt his mouth go dry.

The military base where Al and the other soldiers were staying was due east off of Drachma.

Ed drew in a sharp intake of breath that seemed to close off his throat entirely, and felt his gut bottom out and drop to the earth. He wrenched his head over his shoulder once more at the steamer, and then back forward again at those terrifying, terrifying mountains, which were only getting closer every step he took. And he knew if they kept going, stayed on this same path and didn't change direction, they'd probably end up plowing right through the base. Whether they meant to or not. And that would mean Al and the others…

"Ed?"

Rose's voice came uncertainly, obviously noting the growing panic that had twisted his face to the point where it was beginning to scare her. His head snapped up in turn, eyes locked onto the seemingly innocent view ahead of them.

"We gotta stop," he whispered.

"Huh?" Did she hear him right?

He clenched his jaw and shook his head rapidly, lowering his gaze to his feet.

"We gotta stop _now!_"

With no further warning whatsoever, Ed dug his heels into the dirt and went rigid, balking against the forward movement of the chains.

Feeling the sudden lurch, the children around them began to stop in their tracks, confused and surprised. Others around them began to halt where they stood as well, starting a reaction until they all simply stood in place at the crest of a hill. The workers began shouting all around them, some furious, trying to get the train moving again, others afraid as the huge steamer began to slide backwards down the incline.

Rose felt the chains tug her back as well, and she whipped her head back around to stare at Ed incredulously.

"What do think you're doing?" she hissed.

"Don't know," he shook his head again, "Just trust me." Man, Al was right; he really did need to plan things out better before he decided to do them. Oh well. He needed a plan, and he needed one _now. _What would be a good excuse to get them to detach him from the rest of the train? The only way they would even consider doing that was if…

Ed glanced around carefully to make sure no one was watching that shouldn't be, and noticed that there was only one worker close to him. However, he had his back turned and was currently occupied with keeping a few hyperventilating boys into place. Ed took this as his opportunity. Without a single noise, he allowed his knees to give out and his body to fall slack, crumpling into a boneless heap where he stood and hitting the ground with a hollow thump.

Hearing the sudden noise, the worker jumped and glanced over his shoulder in its direction. He let go of the kids he was trying to manhandle into place, and instead started waving his arms above his head to get everyone else's attention.

"Hold it!" he called out, already making his way over to where Ed lay. He knelt down once he reached the boy's side, and then carefully lifted one of Ed's eyelids before letting it fall shut again. The whites were all that were visible, apparently rolled into the back of his head.

Coming to the conclusion that the boy was dead, or on the verge, the man called out again, "Someone get the mules up here!"

Ed was trying his hardest to lie very still, willing every nerve and muscle to stay relaxed, even when he felt new hands touching him. He felt the unforgiving, tight harness give way and slide off of him, along with the clinking of chains as they were untangled. He then became aware of a new pressure on his ankles as yet another chain was looped around them and pulled taut behind two mules. Suddenly, the mules began to move forward, and Ed was dragged behind them, still allowing himself to appear dead. He could practically feel the curious gazes of the other children burning holes into him.

_Not yet…_

They were almost around the edge of the train.

_A little further…_

And they were going to pay dearly for the hell they had put him through.

_Now!_

Ed rolled onto his back, gritting his teeth hard to steel himself for the exertion that was coming, and kicked off the chain. He vaguely heard the cheers that suddenly erupted as he flipped over again and scrambled to his feet, then sprinted the short distance to where the main chains padlocked themselves to the steamer.

Workers were reacting now, holding up their hands and approaching him slowly, as if they were trying to negotiate with some dangerous animal that had broken out of its cage. And Ed was sure he looked just like a dangerous animal. The noise that had begun to escalate and the knowledge that he had to do such a tremendous job while avoiding being manhandled was sending fresh waves of adrenaline blazing through his young body. His teeth were bared in a slight snarl, and to everyone else, his eyes were glowing in the dim light of the setting sun.

Some made a grab for him, but Ed ducked, and in their next breath, light was fizzling beneath their faces and the chain disintegrated.

Immediately, the children that had been in that row took off, running as fast as they possibly could while kicking the chains off of them.

The train suddenly made a long, ominous, grating squeal that made Edward glance up at it. The car was moving backward steadily now, held in place only by the single row of children still attached to it. However, if it kept at the pace it was falling at, then they most likely wouldn't be holding it for long.

No time to lose. Ed didn't think he had the time to perform alchemy on the chain. So instead, he balanced his weight onto his injured leg, and delivered several rapid kicks to the lock. Once, twice, three times, and it snapped free. The pounding of footsteps over the ground let him know that the rest of the children were taking advantage of the confusion and running off, although Rose and some of the ones they had helped stopped in their tracks to look at him over their shoulders. It seemed that they were waiting for him to follow.

"Go on! I'll be okay," he shouted after them, waving his hand in an arc to shoo them away.

Rose smiled in a way that conveyed she was grateful for everything he had done for her, and nodded in a manner that showed she expected him to uphold that promise. And with that, she took off, the rest of the children following her.

Ed felt his mouth slide into a relived smile, laughing giddily at their departure. They were safe now. It was okay.

A gunshot squealed and exploded into the ground near his feet, and he danced sideways to avoid it, before leaping up onto the woodwork of the steamer. He ran along it, desperately trying to avoid bullets, until something heavy yet slender wrapped around his wrist and pulled taut. It yanked him down to the earth again, his body thudding hollowly as he came in contact with it. However, this time, it didn't take long for Ed to respond, and he sprang up again, catching the worker by surprise and off balance before pulling the chain through his hands with sheer force. He didn't give him time to recover, and took off again. Ed managed to make it behind the train, flipping his gaze over his shoulder every once in a while to make sure his path was clear behind him.

A gunshot shock-waved like a land mine, right where he was about to place his feet on the path he was making, lifting Ed several inches from the ground and causing him to land a few feet away as a result. The panicked cries from the men trying to hold the steamer in place were growing louder. Through the new ringing in his ears, Ed could have sworn he heard them telling each other to 'get out of the way, you can't hold it!'

_Wait…the train has nothing to hold it now. _

A shadow loomed abruptly over Ed, blocking out light and all other sight and freezing the blood in his veins colder than fresh ice. The wave of terrified adrenaline blasted him in the head so hard that only basic survival instincts were pounding through it now. They were screaming at him in an impossibly high pitch to run, and run like all the demons in the world were breathing fire at his heels, or he was going to die. Simple as that.

Because the train was beginning to roll down the hill straight towards him.

Ed's legs seemed to push themselves under him, and haul him to his feet, starting them moving at an incredibly fast pace by something other than his own nerves. His body was far away from him now, and someone else was moving it. But good _god_, he'd never known that something could make him run as fast as he was running now.

The train completed its first roll, clanging with the intensity of an earthquake, and the noise of it was loud enough that he could hear nothing else, not even the sound of his pulse beating against the back of his skull. It rose again, and came down several beats of silence later, even closer than before.

The adrenaline flowed harder than floodwater, the banks of his veins stiff and swollen with it, and Ed felt that his heart was literally going to burst inside his chest from how it kept crashing against his ribcage. No matter how fast he was going, or how badly he wanted to stay alive, there was probably no way he'd be faster than this thing for long. He needed an out, and he needed one _now._

Taking a second to actually _look_ where he was going, that was to say, discern the blurs of movement into objects with outlines and color, he noticed something fast approaching at the base of the dirt hill. It was the station where they had been pulling the train away from in the first place, fading under the influence of twilight.

Now, he just had to reach it. Preferably, still in three dimensions and not in two.

Ed could feel the train at his heels now, and knew he was barely staying ahead of it. Debris was trying to trip him up, or kill him with the way it flew at him at a speed that would certainly put a few holes in him, if they reached him.

_Don't think about that, just stay ahead of it. _

It was coming down even faster now, the further they made their way down the incline. At one point, Ed felt gravity take a hold of his body and lift him from the side of the hill and into the next depression below it, and when he felt his feet touch the ground again, he was amazed he was able to stay upright. The train however, was subjected to the same force, lifted into the air for a moment of complete silence, before it crashed back down again. Ed felt his whole body jar from the impact, and his eardrums nearly ruptured from the metallic boom it made in response. It was close now, way, _way_ too close. Close enough to the station even, that some of the buildings along the outside trembled on their foundations.

Ed bolted over the invisible line that marked the boundary from the station to the forest, the steamer non longer rolling, but instead bulldozing a path directly behind him. It was so loud, he couldn't think past the dire need to get away from it. A long-house type of building suddenly loomed up in front of him, and behind it, were even more steamers like the one pursuing him.

Without giving himself time to hesitate, Ed raced through the long house, the train crashing in behind him, nipping at his heels. He braced himself for a jump through a glass window and made it, before the frame was destroyed a moment later. The trains that still remained stationary were just a few yards away, then a few feet, then a couple inches…

Ed placed one hand onto the corner of one of them, and swung himself over to land on its side rail, not missing a beat. He leapt over obstacles and extrusions faster and with more accuracy than he had ever seen himself do in his life, even as the moving steamer finally collided with it. Both crumpled like tin cans being stepped on, before the one that had been still backed up into the one behind it, causing it to do the same. Fluids leaked, heat ran high, and finally both steamers exploded into a fantastic show of light and fire and noise, just as Ed managed to land away from them. He took off, barely noticing the jar that tingled its way up his legs from the height he had come down from, and shoved his way past two very shocked looking workers.

Finally, only when he felt he was a safe enough distance away, Ed stopped on the very border of the forest that trailed endlessly into the mountains beyond. He spared a glance behind himself, chest still working hard and fast to feed him air, only to watch another brilliant explosion as a warehouse caught the edges of whatever had made the trains blow. The force caused him to shut his eyes tightly against the light and brace for the shockwave that generated from it as a result. When all that remained was the fire, that coincidentally, began to cling and roar loudly among the trees, Ed allowed himself the smallest of triumphant smiles, and simply couldn't resist punching the air before he took off again.

_Yes, I'm still _alive! _Take that, karma._

A few moments of elation was all he got, however, because the next minute, Ed found that he was quite literally running for his life. Heat compressed and squeezed in on him, embers sparked dangerously high or low, smoke clogged the throats of the living. And the fire just kept spreading.

While looking for an escape off to either side of the path, an unexpected blockade suddenly rammed into Ed's peripheral vision. He stopped, frantically looking ahead at a fallen tree that had to have been as big around as a car. It cut off the rest of the path from view perfectly.

The blaze continued to roar like a freight train on either side of him. A slightly hysterical voice in the back of his head laughed at the irony.

_Heh, trains…_

With the flames forming an impassable wall, there was only a single option left. Not giving himself much time to judge or even care if he could make it over or not, Ed growled low in his throat and sprinted forward. Purposeful strides ate up ground in just heartbeats, before he sprang, placing a hand on the tree and using it as leverage as he sailed over.

Perhaps karma had had enough of his lead on it, because it had somehow placed a small indent in the log, right next to where Ed had set his hand. And the chain that had been looped around his wrist was still there. It caught the ring at the end, abruptly tightening and stopping his clean forward motion, holding his arm fast and causing Ed to fly backwards with a startled gasp. Something met his back fast and very, very hard, and even when he came to a stop the world kept flying by his eyes, pulsing black at the edges. It had all happened so fluidly and so swiftly, that he barely knew what hit him.

Without even telling it to, his body began to struggle, still smelling the smoke, and instinctively trying to free itself. Although it seemed harder than it should have been for his body to move too quickly or strongly. His head felt sluggish and painful, fuzzing like a bad t.v station and threatening to turn itself off.

Suddenly, the chain gave way, and the brutal tightness that had his wrist ensnared let it go. He slid slowly down the embankment on the other side, before coming to stop again. Now, he was dimly aware that he was free, but his body simply wouldn't listen to his panicked demands that it get up and take him awake from here as fast as physically possible.

Luckily, for the moment, karma took a step backwards for the time being and gave Edward a much needed break. Two simultaneous thudding noises vibrated beneath his shoulders, and hands appeared on top of his shoulders and began hauling them up. The commanding albeit frantic voice rough with alarm even sounded familiar...

"Come on Ed, there is no way we're loosing you here!" A face with eyes blacker than the smoke and glowing with the fire outlined itself in his vision, narrowed in stubborn determination.

Aw jeez, was it really..?

"Damn it kid, get _up!_"

Mustang. Yup.

Barely having a chance to protest, Ed was on his feet, being shoved none too gently forward. His head was still fuzzy, eyes barely seeing the path anymore, but adrenaline and the feeling of searing heat just inches away kept him going. The Colonel had grabbed his wrist and was running with everything he had, sparing Ed nothing. He seemed so desperate to get away from the flames that he was barely thinking rationally.

Once again, the irony. Flames obeyed the Colonel like a bunch of dogs for the blind, and now they were hellbent on killing him.

And it was that same split second, out-of-options thinking that had Roy leaping without hesitation over the shallow cliff that appeared where the road ended, taking Ed with him. There were several, gut-evaporating moments where they found themselves whistling through the air, before hitting water and hitting it hard. And after that, everything really did fall away with the limb dragging, cold shock.

Roy wouldn't give up, and he resolutely hauled him to the surface (Good ol' Colonel Bastard). Of all things, he couldn't have others saying that he died by drowning. They rose steadily up from the water, Edward looking as good as dead in his arms, the way his body lolled so limply in them.

Slowly, painstakingly, Roy forced himself to carry Ed's weight to the shore, before depositing him there. It took a moment before Ed began to move, his sides heaving and his body beginning to shiver as the air began to whisk itself over his wet skin. God, his eyes felt so _heavy_. They kept closing involuntarily, and each time he didn't think he'd be able to open them again.

Then, something hard and sudden seized Ed's chest, and forced him to roll over from his side. The terrible pressure began to work its way down to his stomach, making it feel impossibly heavy and hollow at the same time, squeezing it for everything it was worth. Unfortunately, it took many long, painful moments before his brain got the message and forced him to start retching, bringing up countless mouthfuls of filthy water (and only the higher beings upstairs knew what else) he hadn't even realized he swallowed. When his body felt it had been cleansed enough, it replaced the nausea with a feeling fatigue so strong, Ed very literally collapsed under its weight. His arms folded back underneath him, and he shivered tiredly, suddenly _begging_ for sleep to come and take away the pain he simply didn't have the energy to deal with.

Fingers suddenly began prodding his head, the front, the back, and everywhere in between. He made a plaintive sound that was half whimper, half growl, and forced himself to look at whatever was trying to keep him awake. It took him a full few seconds to sift through the muddled haze his brain had become and realize it was the colonel.

"Don't go to sleep on me yet," Roy warned, "You hit your head pretty solidly, and if you try sleeping with a concussion, you might not wake up again."

Seriously? Ed felt like his body had become part of the ground by now, it was so heavy. But whatever, he decided. He had to get back to Al alive, after all. Conversation would keep him awake. Maybe.

"How did you know I was out there?" Under any other circumstances, Ed would have hated how weak and hoarse he sounded, but right now, he couldn't have given a care worth a pile of dog crap. At least his eyes were remaining open.

"Al told me," the colonel's reply came, and Ed could have sworn he felt him smiling. "I found him while they were leading you off."

A wave of immediate concern overpowered the fatigue. "Is he alright?"

Roy's fingers tangled their way into the back of his head, feeling for any significant bumps, and answered, "Yeah, he is. Handed him over to Hawkeye and Havoc, and they've been watching him ever since. He's safe, don't worry."

Ed sighed noticeably in relief, whether he had meant to or not. A day of built up tension seemed to leak from his body and soak into the soil. He suddenly felt the absence of Roy's hands, and the voice seemed to rumble through the ground, "Alright, you're fine. Probably going to have a nasty bruise later on though."

"Okay…thas' alright," the younger boy curled up a little, feeling cold drag at his entire being, and not having the energy to start shivering. He spasmed once, pathetically, and then drew his knees closer to his chin.

"Oh, and I don't know if you know this or not, but those trains you destroyed were carrying explosives. Explosives that probably would have blown us up to higher hell than this place if they had arrived at where they were supposed to."

_Was that so? Hmm, figures. I get caught up fighting for my life and end up making Mustang's job easier somehow. As usual. _

A heavy weight mysteriously appeared on top of him, starting around his shoulders and covering down to his knees. It was only when his own heat began to flood and reflect back onto himself, that he became aware enough to glance down and see himself covered in the colonel's blue military coat. And that the colonel himself was sitting just a few feet away, in a white undershirt, watching the fire burn its way to the top of the cliff. His profile was outlined in an orange glow that shifted when he turned his head to regard Ed once more.

"Go to sleep," he murmured, although it sounded, as usual, more like an order than a suggestion, "I'm not going to lug your ass back to your brother tomorrow, so you'd better be able to walk straight."

Once again, Ed could practically feel that stupid, condescending grin of his. He almost felt like mentioning that some sniper had shot him the day before yesterday, and that he still felt like cutting his leg off above the knee. But instead, he grumbled, "Maybe if you shut up I'd be able to sleep, you sunava …you talk too much…"

"You're rambling, kid," he interrupted, sounding bored.

"Mmph…tend to do that when… m'tired…"

Ed sighed, finally realizing he was mumbling nonsense, and let his eyes close. Darkness rushed in with the force of waves in a storm, and seemed to roar just as loudly. It clawed greedily at his consciousness, utterly obliterating it in under a minute.

_Thank God…I made it this far._

Roy smiled, a very small smile, but a smile nonetheless.

_Thank God… Al has such a stubborn older brother. If it wasn't for that will, he'd never get up on his feet for all the times the world keeps knocking him down._

The fire in the distance roared on, but never came any closer.

**A/N: Uh, sorry I took so long? But it's finally here, darnit! Just figured out I can't write action sequences, heh heh. But then again I'm sure everyone likes reading them just as much as I like writing them. xP**

**Well, one person got the movie right. I took this from Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmarron . ;D So there you are, big secret revealed. **

**Thanks to those that reviewed last chapter, I love you all very very much. 8D Adios, see you in the next fanfic!**


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